Ten Ways
by RaiLei
Summary: Ten different couples. Ten different ways to show it. Ten different ways to say that eight lettered word ...


**How to Save a Life – The Fray  
**_Pokeshipping_

"Open your eyes; please Ash! Ash? Oh Ash, can't you _hear_ me?"

Misty couldn't believe what she was seeing – Ash was _dead_; just because of some prankster ghost Pokémon. She knew coming here was wrong; he should have listened to her and Brock, but _no_, he had to prove there was nothing to be scared of.

But, where had that got him? Only a falling chandelier cutting his Pokémon Master dream short.

When the banquet in the one room started to _fly_ around and attack them; that should have been enough to send them heading back to Saffron City. If Ash just trained his Pokémon more he'd be able defeat Sabrina's Kadabra.

Waiting outside Ghost Tower, pacing back and forth, Misty knew something was wrong. She thought she had just heard Ash scream from inside, worry eating away inside of her. She wouldn't admit it, but if anything happened to Ash . . .

Misty shook her head, she wouldn't think about it. Ash would be fine. He _was_ Ash after all. But, when she heard his voice – and there being nothing behind her – her heart hammered in her chest, her intuition telling her something was wrong.

What she saw inside though . . . was something she wished she could _un_see.

"I can't believe . . . Brock, _what_ are we supposed to do?" Misty mumbled; her eyes wide, hands flying to her mouth. "We should call Nurse Joy –"

"She deals with Pokémon not people, Mist," Brock muttered, shaking his head. "Come on; help me get this chandelier off Ash."

Misty nodded, numbly following behind Brock. She stopped a couple steps behind Brock, watching him as he tried to push the chandelier off him. Slowly, she approached him, taking hold of the rusted gold chandelier, the two of them managing to push it away.

"What are we supposed to do?" Misty whispered, kneeling down on the dusty floor. "If Ash's really dead . . . what'll we tell his _mom_?"

"You could always give him mouth to –"

"Stop that!" Misty shouted as she smacked Brock; a smirk on the breeders' face. "You're so – ugh, I don't even know the word!"

"Come on Mist, you know CPR and well, I think Ash would appreciate you doing it then me," – Misty couldn't help but blush, dropping her eyes to the floor – "So, just take one for the team!"

Misty nodded slowly, biting down on her bottom lip. Glancing from Brock to Ash, she ran her hand underneath her eyes. She didn't like seeing Ash like this . . . "Fine, fine," she mumbled. "This just better work . . ."

Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't hear Brock let out a tiny laugh, Ash's fingers twitching slightly. It wasn't until she heard Ash lowly say _"Hi Misty" _that she paused, her features turning from worry to surprise to anger.

"Ah, you're _alive_," Misty said then shook her head. "Don't you _ever_ scare me like that again!" Shaking her head, she brought her hand down, smacking him lightly before hugging him as he sat up. "I was so worried about you! We thought you'd _died_!"

**Boom Boom Boom – Vengaboys  
**_Contestshipping_

May sighed, drumming her fingers against her desk. Rolling her eyes, she closed up her journal, pushing her chair back. Crossing her room, she flopped down onto the bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling.

Being grounded was _no_ fun. Her parents weren't one for rules; the only one they were sticklers for was that she wasn't to be home alone with a boy. Needless to say, when her parents had came home from the theatre one night to find May curled up on the couch against Drew, the latest romantic movie playing, they were really impressed.

"I'm _so_ bored," May mumbled, adding a pillow over her head.

Not even Max was home to annoy for a couple hours. Stretching her arms out before her she paused when she heard a small clank against her window. Raising an eyebrow, she slowly moved to sit up, tossing her pillow at her headrest. Pushing herself up off the bed, she warily crossed the room, a puzzled expression on her face.

As she pulled the colourful curtains back, her expression froze, a grin slowly appearing on her face. Shaking her head, she let out a laugh, fumbling with the window's lock; throwing it open.

"Drew," she whispered, grinning manically into the darkening night. "What're you doing here?"

Drew just grinned up at her from the shadows of the Cedar tree, pushing his emerald bangs away. "I wanted to see you," he simply said, pebbles in his hand. "Come out to the movies with me."

May bit down on her lip, weighing out her options; she was _only_ able to see Drew at school . . . "But my parents –"

"_Please_ May," Drew said, rolling his eyes, a smirk on his face. "You didn't care last week, so let's go," he said, waving her down.

May sighed, the look on his face getting the better of her. "I'll just tell them I'm staying at Misty's then."

Nodding to herself, she hoisted herself up onto the window ledge, throwing her leg over the edge, getting her footing on the lattice work. Used to it, she reached the bottom in no time, grinning as she felt Drew's hands on her waist.

"I'm a bad influence on you," he muttered as May turned around. "You know though, I don't think they'll let you into the theatre like that."

Raising an eyebrow, May glanced down, letting out an awkward laugh. She was standing there, barefoot in the grass, clad in sun and moon pajamas.

**That's how it feels – Wave  
**_Cavaliershipping_

Dawn grinned, skipping down the worn path leading to Sandgem Town, hardly able to contain her excitement. It had been five years since the Sinnoh League and she'd spent a majority of the time training under Wallace, seeing her friends now and again.

The cell phone she held clutched in her hand was a life saver; it kept her in touch; even if it was only text messaging. Sure, she'd _tried _dating – Kenny and Conway – but the one that caught her eye only made her tongue tied.

They ran into each other on their travels now an again, ironically staying in the same hotel occasionally. Over time she overcame her speech impairment when talking to him, grinning madly in the mirror at her accomplishment. They even traded cell phone numbers and after talking through texts and the terminals in the Pokémon Centers, he'd asked her out in a video conference.

Five years later, countless dates – usually months apart – and way to many late night phone calls; he was _finally_ back in Sinnoh. She'd been home in Twinleaf Town relaxing when her cell phone gave a familiar jingle. Upon reading it, she grinned, her limbs flailing as she got off the couch, grabbing her flip-flops on her way out the door.

Reaching Sandgem Town – it took no time to find the Professor Rowan's lab – Dawn let out a breath, closing her eyes as she reached a hand forward; pushing the familiar door open.

"Hello?" She said, looking around; the usually busy room empty. Raising an eyebrow, Dawn clasped her hands behind her back, looking around. The lab still looked the way she remembered it. "Is anyone here?" she said a bit louder, hearing a murmur of voices.

Sighing, Dawn stretched her arms out before her; warily looking at the closed door at the end of the hallway. Her hand unconsciously reached for Empoleon's Poke ball as she stopped before the door. Taking a deep breath, she reached out with a call of _'hello?'_ and threw the door open.

Ten Professors, all dressed in white lab coats, looked back at her. She blinked, surprise written across her face before laughing awkwardly. "Err . . . _hi _there . . ." she pulled on her hair slightly, glancing at each person; stopping when she saw him. "Gary! Oh, I came here to talk to Gary!"

Simultaneously, nine Professors turned to look at the brown haired professor. Gary sighed, running a hand over his face. _"Isn't that Dawn_?" Professor Oak asked, loudly enough for the room to hear, earning a groan from his grandson.

"Just give me a minute," Gary said, excusing himself from the table. Dawn blinked, biting down on her lip, maybe she should have waited at home. "What're you doing here Dawn?" he mumbled, grabbing her upper arm, leading her out of the room.

"I couldn't wait," she mumbled, glancing from the ground to Gary. "You said you were here and so close, I couldn't wait a couple hours! I'm sorry though; I really embarrassed you, huh?"

"Nah, that's what I like about you, Dawn; you just go and do it without another thought. But," Gary shook his head, frowning. "This _isn't_ exactly how I planned it out; Johanna knows about it, but I'm guessing she's not home, huh?" Dawn raised an eyebrow, what was he talking about? "I had roses and my convertible brought over, but – you never were one to _wait_. So, Dawn, what would you say to marrying me?"

All the Professors heard from inside the room was a squeal and a thud as Dawn launched herself at Gary, the two falling to the ground. Professor Oak just let out a chuckle, shaking his head before turning his attention to the other Professors. "I believe my grandson has just become preoccupied; we should just continue without him for now . . ."

**I'm still here – Johnny Rzenznik  
**_Handymanshipping_

Misty frowned, looking out the upper window of their house, a telephone propped between her ear and shoulder. "She looks really depressed – I don't know what to do with her. Lily said just to leave her but –"

Misty paused, her friend cutting her off. She nodded to what they said; glancing at Daisy; the blonde haired girl sitting dejectedly on the tree swing, staring at the ground. "Oh, her boyfriend dumped her," Misty's voice lowered slightly. "I didn't tell her . . . but I actually saw Bill in town with _Violet_ of all people."

"Yes, that's right," Misty bit down on her lip, leaning her back against the window. "I always knew something was up with him; I never really liked him." Misty shook her head, scowling. "Yes, that's why I called you; are you busy? Can you come over; I want to try and cheer her up."

"Thanks so much for coming over Tracey," Misty said, an hour later, answering the door. "I owe you for this."

"Don't worry about it Misty," Tracey said with a shrug, closing the front door behind him. "So, how is Daisy; I've never seen you so worried about her."

Misty let out an awkward laugh, leading him through the house. "I've gotten close to Daisy lately; I'm not used to seeing her like this. I just want to see a smile on her face again; she's got to move on; thinking about Bill is a waste of time."

Tracey nodded, saying nothing as Misty opened the back door, a frown marring her features. "She's just around the corner; she's been sitting there for _hours_. I'm counting on you."

"No problem," Tracey said, passing Misty, well used to the large backyard.

He let out a sigh as he heard the screen door close behind Misty. He agreed with the red head, Daisy could do better then Bill and now . . . he shook his head. No, he couldn't think of that right now. Coming around the corner, he paused when he noticed Daisy, sitting idly on the swing. Frowning – he'd never seen her so depressed – he grabbed a flower from the garden, making his way over to her.

"Hey Daisy," he said, stopping before her. Daisy looked up, raising an eyebrow as she saw him, her eyes vacant. "I heard what Bill did – I'm really sorry," he said slowly, trying to find the right words. "But, you deserve better then him; he doesn't know what he's missing. You'll find someone better then him, you know?"

"Yeah, but . . . I –I like _loved _him," she mumbled after a pause, running a hand underneath her eyes. "What's that you got there?"

Tracey smiled, even depressed, Daisy was perspective. Slowly, a grin on his features, he pulled out the flower from behind his back. "Misty called me to come see you, she was worried about you. I figured this would cheer you up."

Daisy reached out, taking the flower from his hand, a small grin appearing on her features. "It's a Rose," she said slowly, running a finger over its petals, picking herself up off the swing. "You're right Tracey, I'm like _so_ much better then Bill," Grinning, Daisy reached forward, bringing Tracey into a hug. "You're such a good _friend_, Tracey."

Letting go of the artist, Daisy turned on her heel heading for the backdoor, yelling for Misty and Lily. Tracey sighed, a frown marring his features as he looked at the empty swing. "Yeah . . . I'm glad we're _friends_ too."

**At the Beginning – Anastasia Soundtrack  
**_Orangeshipping_

Misty had never really thought much of the green haired teenager her and Ash had stumbled across upon their arrival in the Orange Islands. At first, he kind of annoyed her, what with his Pokémon Philosophy being way to close to Brock's (making her miss him more) and _always_ that sketchbook. Sometimes, she wanted to hit him, off and on again yelling out in the middle of a battle, whipping out his sketchbook.

Sometimes, she _wondered_ about the boy that admired Professor Oak so much . . .

But, she shrugged it off; he wasn't that bad as she got to know him. She _hated_ to admit it, but sometimes she found herself drawn to him instead of the carefree Ash. The Shamoody Islands were what stuck out in her mind; Ash and run off, leaving them behind _again_. When they'd set off to rescue Ash – Melody taunting her about it – he'd caught her off guard when he asked if they were talking about him.

Yet again, Misty wondered about the Orange Island native . . .

After the Orange Acapulco, they'd left the Pokémon Watcher in Pallet Town, while she and Ash – _surprisingly_ alongside Brock – headed off to the Johto Region. However, things had came crashing down after the Johto League, her sisters were going on vacation so she had to remain in Kanto while Ash _and_ Brock went off to Hoenn.

Misty had been depressed, which quickly turned into her being annoyed about being the only group member _not _out having some crazy adventure. Soon after that, she remembered he was still in Kanto, acting as Professor Oak's assistant. After a phone call to let him know she was in town, telling him many times to come visit her, she felt herself slowly becoming _happier_.

He'd come up and visit her on his days off; they'd go out to the theatre or head off to Mount Moon in search of the Clefairy's for him to observe. They rarely found any. Her sisters teased her about it – especially when she'd go to Pallet for the weekend – but she shrugged it off; it didn't matter what her sisters said.

"Come on Misty, we're going to be late," Tracey called from the hallway, leaning against the door jam. "Whatever you're doing – I'm sure you look fine."

Misty gritted her teeth as she shoved her house keys into her bag, her sisters snickering at the kitchen table. She shot them a glare which only made them laugh harder. "I'm coming," she yelled, glaring at her sisters before sprinting out the room.

"Careful of the dark theatre, Misty," she heard Violet call in a singsong voice.

Misty shook her head, balling her hands into fists; the desire to turn around and hit her was too great. "Yeah, I'm ready, let's go." Misty grinned, entering the hallway, grabbing his hands as she dragged him towards the front door. "My sisters are really annoying, but, ugh, I think they're just _jealous_." She said the last part loud enough for them to hear.

"I see," Tracey said, shaking his head. "Your sisters are actually pretty perspective this time," he said with a laugh, throwing his arm around the red head.

"Tell me about it," Misty grumbled with a slight smile. "I guess we got found out though, huh? At least we won't _always_ have to go out now . . ."

"Yeah," Tracey said. "But your sisters are just going to ambush us at your place."

Misty groaned, closing her eyes as she leaned back against him. "Next time, I'm _moving_ to Pallet Town, seriously! I'll live with Ash's mom or something."

Tracey laughed, lighting pressing his lips to her forehead. "That'll just make their gossip worse, you know . . ."

**Everything you want – Vertical Horizon  
**_Rocketshipping_

Jessie sighed, slumping down against their balloon's basket. She glared at the deflated balloon, crossing her arms over her chest. Chasing after the twerps, battling them, losing and blasting off was getting really old. She'd lost count how many times this year _alone_ she'd blasted off.

"Jessie? C'mon we's got ta get moving, them twerps are gonna be here soon."

Jessie frowned, glancing from the punctured balloon to Meowth. The cat Pokémon raised an eyebrow at her, leaning on a shovel. "What's the point?" she grumbled, closing her eyes momentarily.

"What's da point? We's gotta start earlier now that's Jim's gone."

"I know he's gone," Jessie snapped, inwardly rolling her eyes. "You think I'd _forget_ that?"

_Halfway through Sinnoh, they got the surprise of their lifetime when James's parents and Jessebelle ambushed them in Snowpoint City. The butler from James's summer estate had phoned them in Kanto, stating that James had shown up with another woman. They were still as pushy as Jessie remembered and it hadn't taken them long to force James onto their private jet, whisking him off back to Kanto._

_Snowpoint City was a lot colder after that – she didn't bother chasing after the twerps; she'd just turned around and headed back down Route 217. Meowth didn't understand, but after his complaints went on deaf ears, gave up._

_Two months later, sitting in a Pokémon Center at the Pokémon League, Jessie's usually silent phone had started ringing off the hook. Half interested, she grabbed the phone, mumbling a 'hello'. At first she couldn't make out the hushed, whispered words, but she just _knew _it was James. In a hurry, he'd mentioned that Jessebelle had gotten worse over the years and that he was marrying her in three months time . . . then the connection went dead. After that, his cell phone was disconnected. _

And that was how Jessie found herself back in Kanto, intent on getting to James's dreaded estate. But, like she'd tell Meowth _why_ she'd come all the way out here _again_. However, unfortunately for her – luckily for Meowth – the _twerps_ had arrived in Kanto as well, doing whatever twerpy thing they did. Jessie was less then interested in them, leaving the hole digging to Meowth.

"Jessie, you just gonna sit dere all day?" Meowth asked, surveying the ground for a good spot. "You's been actin' all weird since Jim left."

Jessie nodded absently, glancing at the time on her cell phone. Frowning, she pushed herself up off the ground, glancing through the dense forestry, knowing James's mansion was on the other side. "I'm just going to go see where those twerps are . . ."

Not caring if he responded, Jessie turned on her heel, disappearing into the forest, heading in the opposite direction. She'd been working on a plan since she last spoke to James and as the bells from the looming estate started to ring out twelve noon. Mumbling to herself, Jessie picked up her pace, her muscles protesting from ridding in the balloon for so many years. She let out a sigh as she broke through of the forest, the mansion stretching out before her.

Approaching the path leading up to the front door, she paused, gritting her teeth upon realizing the iron gates were closed _and_ locked. "Come on James," she grumbled, glancing through the gate. No one was there. "Why couldn't you make this easier?"

Stepping back, she scanned the perimeter before her, grinning when she noticed a large patch of vines snaking around the walled area. Running over there, Jessie grabbed the vines, dropping down into the Morgan's property moments later.

Glancing around the property with wary eyes, Jessie crossed the spacious lawn, moving silently against the wall. Reaching the main door, Jessie took a deep breath, glancing through the window. Nodding to herself – glad that she _had_ changed into regular clothes hours ago – she brushed her recently chopped hair back reaching for the doorknob.

It was now or never.

"Excuse me, Miss," a polished voice said, making Jessie jump. She cringed slightly when she noticed it was the butler who'd tossed her out last time, but he didn't seem to recognize her. "Are you here for the young Master's wedding? I'll need to see your invitation, please."

"Oh that," Jessie said laughing awkwardly, searching her pockets. "I had it last night . . . I must have left it at home . . . but I've known James since we were in the Academy." Hadn't he mentioned schooling once?

Jessie let out a sigh as the butler nodded, giving her the directions to the ballroom, the ceremony starting in five minutes. Fidgeting slightly, Jessie slipped into the extremely decorative room, grabbing a seat in the nearest pew, her eyes drawn to James standing dejectedly at the altar, nodding numbly to something his father said.

Rolling her eyes – she knew why James pretended he was an orphan – she slipped her hand into her skirt pocket, grabbing the small smoke bomb she had taken from the supplies in the balloon.

She couldn't _wait_ to see Jessebelle's reaction when she realized what was happening . . .

**Gotta Go My Own Way – High School Musical 2  
**_Penguinshipping_

"Dawn, this has gone on long enough," Blinking, the blue haired girl looked up, raising an eyebrow. What were they talking about? "We've debated about it all week and the recent press coverage you've been receiving . . ."

Dawn rolled her eyes, her legs propped up against the tables' edge. Her cell phone rested against her legs and stomach, her fingers flying over the keypad. "Uh huh, sounds good." Dawn said absently, to show she was listening.

"So, you agree then?" Her agent said; a glimmer of hope in their tone. "Dawn, are you _even_ listening?"

"I am now," Dawn said, hitting the send button, closing her cell phone. "I had to write Kenny back, we're meeting in Goldenrod City, you know?"

Her agent sighed, their eyebrows coming together, anger appearing on her features. "That's going to be awkward then, perhaps we should go right to Ecruteak City then."

"Huh, why?" Dawn asked, confused.

Her agent shook her head, sitting down at the large conference table. "Dawn, you're breaking up with Kenny at –"

"Hold on!" Dawn shouted as she shot up, her cell phone clattering to the floor. "I would _never_ do that – you have no right!"

"You agreed no more then a minute ago," her agent said, rolling her eyes. "But you weren't listening _again_, correct?"

Dawn grinned slightly, tugging on her hair; something she usually did when she was uncomfortable. "Well, I had to message Kenny, his Bronzor just evolved after _so_ much training. He's pretty excited."

Her agent rolled her eyes. "Are you going to be able to beat Kenny at Goldenrod after all his hard work? Or is it going to be Cherrygrove City all over again? The only way you're going to succeed and be like what you used to be is for you to leave Kenny behind. Battling him takes you down; you're not the _queen to beat _anymore."

Dawn sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "So what – it's not _all_ about winning? What ever happened to doing it for the fun of it all?"

She missed the old days, wandering around with Ash and Brock, winning and losing, hanging out with Zoey, Kenny and Nando. Maybe she _should_ have done what May did; she had made it big without the help of an agent (her mother helping her out time and again) but Dawn had wanted to one up her idol; have an agent that did everything for her – and look where that got her . . .

"I think you're right," Dawn mumbled, nodding her head slowly; deciding her own fate. She noticed a slight grin on her agents' face. "This has gone on long enough – Esther, you're fired. I'm _not_ stopping my life – my happiness – for a stupid ribbon and a trophy! I can make it without you, people have done it before, my mom knows enough about contests to help me out –"

"You're making a _mistake_, Dawn; that only happens once and a blue moon. Miss. Maple only managed to do through selling herself . . ."

"Don't make me say it again," Dawn said; her voice steady as she glanced at her. "We're through; if I fail, that's my own fault. A falling star – maybe; but that will be of my own doing. I _know _what I want . . . and I'm taking it!"

"You don't know what you're doing –"

"I do," Dawn said, flipping open her cell phone. "I know what I want; I want my life back. And, unfortunately, I can't do that with you breathing down my neck any longer. So we're _finished_," Dawn glanced over her phone, fingers flying across her keypad. "I wish you luck though."

Esther nodded, shaking her head as she turned on her heel, the door closing behind her. Alone in the room, Dawn let out a sigh, flopping back into the chair, propping her knees up against the table. Hitting the talk button, she brought the phone to her ear, listening to the dial tone.

She could just imagine Kenny's reaction; he'd always thought an agent was a dumb idea. Dawn grinned wildly as she heard his voice from the other end, immediately launching into the story, excited to see him next week at the contest.

**Take a Chance on Me – Mamma Mia Movie Soundtrack  
**_Ikarishipping_

Dawn sighed, making her way through the dense forest, pushing branches out of her way. Twigs stuck out of her hair, scratches adorning her skin as her bag slowed her down, catching on nearly everything she past by. She wondered how much noise she was making.

Travelling alone was _hard_! After the Sinnoh League Championships, Ash and Brock headed off to the Alto Region. But, instead of going with them, Dawn had hopped onto a ferry going to the Orange Islands tailing after a certain purple haired teen.

And, that was how she found herself traipsing through the forest, trying to locate her query after losing sight of him in town. If she'd have known the forest was going to be so thick she'd have just went to Trovitopolis Island to _wait_ for Paul to show up.

But, _no_, she wanted to watch him train, watch him battle . . . she felt like such a stalker.

Lost in her own thoughts, she wandered through the dense forest, roughly pushing the large branches out of her way (letting out a yelp once when one came back, hitting her square in the back) as some of the smaller shrubs rustled as she past by it. As a twig snapped underneath her foot, Dawn paused, her eyes widening as she glanced around – the path no more then a couple meters away.

Her heart hammered in her chest as she swiveled around to look at the path, letting out a sigh as she didn't see Paul standing there.

"Wherever you are – come out _now_." The deathly calm voice made Dawn jump, whirling around so she was behind a large tree trunk. Paul was _in front_ of her . . . "Electrivire – Iron Tail."

"Wait!" Dawn yelled, waving her hands before her as she came out from behind the tree. "It's only –"

"What're you doing here?" Paul demanded, waving Electivire off as he turned on his heel. "I don't have time for you, let's go Electivire."

Shaking her head, Dawn started after him. "Have you caught any new Pokémon lately?" Paul didn't respond, but she could imagine him rolling his eyes. "I caught a Finneon the other day while fishing," Dawn supplied to no avail. "It's too bad there's no . . ." She trailed off as Paul stopped, turning around to glare at her.

"What're you doing here? Go bug your other friends."

Dawn sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "I'll have you know, _they're _not here! I came by myself . . . to find you," she mumbled the last bit, her face turning red.

"Well, that's stupid," Paul commented, turning on his heel. "I don't have time for you."

Dawn balled her hands up into fists, stomping loudly through the underbrush so that she was standing beside him, keeping pace him with. "Well I **do** have time – I'm travelling with you now."

Paul let out a groan, glaring at the excited Coordinator. Deciding not to say anything, he shook his head in response, staring ahead. Dawn grinned manically, falling into step beside him, hands clasped behind her back.

_At least he didn't say no_, Dawn thought with a shrug.

But, even if he _did _say no . . . it mattered little. Or, maybe Paul already knew that . . .

**Do You Know? (Ping Pong Song) - Enrique Iglesias  
**_Heartbreakershipping_

Brock didn't know how it had happened. Everything had been going great; it was just like he'd imagined when he set off from Pewter City with Ash a year ago. En Route to entering the Orange Acapulco they'd stopped off in Valencia Island to pick up the GS Ball and then . . . he saw _her_ . . . Professor Ivy and to top it all off – she'd agreed to let him stay.

He had to admit, it was strange watching Ash and Misty leave without him, but, he'd got what he wanted after all. He'd got the beautiful girl with massive amount of Pokémon knowledge and even better, she wanted him to stay at the lab working with her.

What more could he ask for? That was until six months later; they had a huge argument over Pokémon Breeding and tactics, each of them being on opposite sides. Professor Ivy – in her anger – had yelled out, telling him that he wasn't ready to be a Pokémon Breeder unless he was open to others options and that, quite frankly, she didn't think he had what it took to become a master breeder.

"_Don't mention that name,"_ he mumbled, disappearing moments later whenever she was mentioned.

The next time that he saw Professor Ivy, it would _probably_ be too soon.

She'd insulted him, telling him he didn't _have_ what it took to be a breeder. _You're heads in the clouds_, Ivy had yelled; her face red. _A Breeder must have a level head, not chasing after any girl that walks by! People _aren't_ going to take you seriously, continuing on this path will ruin you. If you want people to come to you for help, you're going to have to think about your reputation. Right now you're ruining your chances._

He had to change . . . he had to stop glancing at the beautiful ladies in _every_ town – Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny. He shook his head; it was going to be _impossible_ to give them up! No more short skirts, no more shameless flirting and no more (in his opinion) good pick up lines.

"Well then, that's alright. I do have _you_ after all."

The look Professor Ivy had given him as she stared over her clipboard was ingrained in his mind. Felina Ivy had looked . . . surprised, _angry_ and then was it, indifference? "I don't know what you mean, Brock," she had commented, checking something off on the page. "I never said anything of that nature; I'm _far_ too busy with my work."

Brock's mouth fell open, the feeling draining from his body at those works. It felt like she had just thrown something at him, slicing him in two. "But I thought –"

"You thought wrong," she simply said, turning on her heel. "That was not why you were invited to stay here, Brock. You were invited to learn more about Pokémon, to broaden your horizons. If anything was ever implied it was unintentional and has no value here. My research always comes first."

Nodding at her words, the conversation over, Felina Ivy turned on her heel, her lab coat moving with each step as she called out to her other assistants. Brock just stood there, _how_ were you supposed to respond to that?

That was when he packed his bags and decided to head back to Pallet Town in Kanto; Ash and Misty would be back after their stay in the Orange Islands, he figured. In the meantime, he would just have to deal with Mr. Mime fighting with him for dish duty at the Ketchum's . . . _but_ at least that was better then having to look at Felina Ivy daily . . .

**Girl all the Bad Guys Want – Bowling for Soup  
**_TicketShipping (Casey/Georgio)_

It was all over the radio, the television, heck – it was even starting to appear on the city's billboards, posters taped to lampposts. In one weeks time the Starmie baseball team was returning home, taking on (the usually _losing_) Electabuzz team. The Cerulean Marina Stadium had sold out the tickets in record time; it had been a while since the Starmie had played a home game.

"It's no fair!" A purple haired girl whined, drumming her fingers against her desk. "I _so_ wanted tickets – I was in line at _three_ am! I can't believe they sold out so fast; there were only two people ahead of me . . ."

"That's too bad," a red head girl said with a shrug, leaning back in her chair. "You'll just have to catch it on television, Casey!"

"That's the worst!" Casey shouted, pulling on her Electabuzz hat. "What kind of Electabuzz fan would I be to _watch_ it on TV?! I took the train all the way to Fuchsia City to see their home game! They need someone cheering them on here! Everybody now," Casey yelled suddenly, standing up, swinging her megaphone around. "_If you think you'll win the game you are in for quiet a shock –"_

"Not that again!" Misty grumbled, grabbing Casey's yellow sweater, pulling her down. "Nobody wants to hear _that_ song again . . ."

Casey rolled her eyes, glancing around the classroom. She shrugged, flashing a huge grin at the class – a majority who had shown up in shades of purple, a Starmie adorning a piece of their clothing. "You're all just jealous because my Electabuzz's are going to cream the Starmie's!"

"What's with you?" Misty mumbled, shaking her head. "You can't just be normal, can you?"

"Course not!" Casey yelled, standing up suddenly, her chair clattering to the floor. "I'm skipping today; the radio station might still have tickets – I _need_ to get a ticket!"

Misty sighed, propping her chin in her palm. She watched idly as Casey stalked out of the classroom, megaphone in hand, chanting the Electabuzz song as loud as she could. "Sometimes . . . I wonder about her . . ." Misty mumbled as she closed her eyes; if anything else; Casey knew how to give her a migraine.

If Misty had been looking, she would have seen one of the quieter guys in their class, pick himself up from his desk, leaving the classroom as well . . .

"I've got to get a ticket," Casey mumbled to herself, clutching her microphone tightly. "Can't be their biggest fan if I'm _not_ there, oh, the radio's got to have tickets! If I have to sneak in there . . ."

"Casey . . ."

The purple haired girl paused, glancing over her shoulder, eyes narrowed. "I don't have time for your _Starmie_ nonsense," she grumbled, picking up her pace again. "I need tickets!"

_Talk about a one track mind,_ he thought idly, keeping pace with the irate baseball fan easily. "I got exactly what you need, actually."

Casey stopped, the schools' door a couple feet away from them, placing her hands on her hips. "What? Unless you've got an _extra_ ticket, I don't have time for you."

She'd never paid much attention to the brown haired Georgio. He was pretty smart – aced almost every test; much to everyone else's annoyance – with his plain clothes and vintage scarf's, she'd never gotten to know him – despite the fact they'd been in school together since kindergarten.

"Actually I do," he said, reaching into his pocket, making Casey raise an eyebrow. "My dad works at the radio station, he got me two of these."

Casey's eyes widened as he pulled out the tickets, a silhouette of and Electabuzz and Starmie beneath the writing. "Oh my gosh!" she screeched, reaching forward for the tickets, which Georgio jerked out of her grasp. "Why – _why_ me?"

"They're _eat seats_ too," he added, making Casey's mouth drop open, surprise etched across her face. "I knew the Electabuzz's were coming three months ago, before it was announced to the public. My dad mentioned it at home, so I got him to get another two with the ones the station got . . . I was _hoping_ you'd want to come with me . . ."

"Of **course**!" Casey yelled, a maniacal grin appearing on her features. "We're going to have so much fun," she paused, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Wait! Are you a Starmie fan?" She'd just noticed his shirt had a Starmie imprint on the sleeves.

"The Electabuzz," he commented, a smirk appearing on his features. "What'd you think?"

"Well, I had to make sure," Casey said, waving him off. "I can't be seen with a _Starmie_ fan of all people – what would the Electabuzz think of me then?" She grinned, taking the offered ticket. "If you think you'll win the game you are in for quiet a shock, Electabuzz will electrify and then we'll win the fight!" She grinned, when halfway through the chant, Georgio joined in as well.

---

A/N –

I'd seen some other writers doing it and wanted to give it a try as well.

I put my IPod on shuffle, and my original idea was to write ten short pieces per couple, but that would be tedious – and thought probably boring to others. So, instead I did one idea. I will say, I have five written for both _Handymanshipping_ and _Cavaliershipping_, so I just chose my favourite of those two.

I didn't want to use the same character twice, but, I did end up using Misty and Tracey twice. I'm not really an Orangeshipping fan, but I needed another ship. I had thought of Cassidy and Butch; but I couldn't see that happening. It wasn't until editing that I realized Dawn was used three times, tsk tsk. But I love Cavalier and Ikarishipping.

Georgio is a character from Pokémon Chronicles, who asks Misty out on a date and he also has tickets to the Electabuzz game. Meowth's speech might be off, his speech pattern is different. Writing Casey's personality was fun; she's so energetic and crazy.

So, R&R!


End file.
